Published: Friday, November 15, 2013 at 11:58 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, November 15, 2013 at 11:58 a.m.

The Rev. David Robertson (center), associate pastor of First Pentecostal Holiness Church, stands with church members Sgt. Billy Medford (left) of the Davidson County Sheriff's Office and Melvin Pitman. The three were part of a group that went on a mission trip to Cuba in October.

Donnie Roberts/The Dispatch

The jungles are thick, temperatures are hot, transportation is primitive, and the scorpions sting with deadly vengeance.

It's also a place that can transform your life.

Three men on a mission from First Pentecostal Holiness Church were moved by the experience in a variety of ways.

It marked the first mission trip for First Pentecostal associate pastor David Robertson, who described the weeklong event as "overwhelming in a good way."

Part of the inspiration derived from a companion on the trip, Bob Huff of Raleigh, who started the first Pentecostal church in Cuba. He heard about the mission to roof and help refurbish buildings on a Pentecostal church campus there that was damaged by Hurricane Sandy last year.

The 82-year-old was returning to Cuba for the first time after being expelled by Communist leader Fidel Castro in the 1950s. Huff was forced to leave Cuba when he was 26 years old. Incredibly, before he left, Huff was instrumental in building 26 churches there.

"He was blown away by what God had done there since then. He was very emotionally moved over seeing the growth of the church and how it has progressed," Robertson said of the number of Christian churches that are now in the country. Pentecostal churches, as well as Catholic churches, have a strong presence in Cuba, Robertson reported.

"We visited a church that he helped start," explained Billy Medford, a member of First Pentecostal here who serves as a sergeant with the Davidson County Sheriff's Office. "The current pastor there was dedicated to the Lord by him (Huff) when he was a baby." Seeing the two interact "was a great blessing," Medford described. "It was overwhelming."

Robertson, Medford and Melvin Pitman, an electrician, represented the local church on the mission, which took place in October.

"It's a very oppressed place," Robertson said. "It looks like time stopped there in the 1950s. They have those old 1950s cars that we would die for. They share the road with everything … people, horses, buggies, bicycles. There are no road rules. It's quite amazing, you never hear of an accident."

Even during the fall, eastern Cuba is hot. "It was 95 to 100 degrees," Robertson estimated. "They have very little air conditioning. Nothing is up to standards compared to our systems.

"It was hot and humid, but they are used to that. The Cubans outworked us, I tell you that. They hardly broke a sweat."

All buildings in that part of the country have flat roofs, which are made with concrete. Small palm tree branches are used to hold the roof in place until the concrete cures, which takes about 40 days, Robertson said.

The First Pentecostal pastor has been dubbed "the scorpion king" by Medford after Robertson had a horrifying experience.

Unloading logs from an ox-drawn cart during a workday, Robertson felt a painful sting on his wrist. He slung off his glove and watched the creature crawl away.

"It was a painful sting that went all the way to my shoulder," Robertson said. "It had fallen into the top of my glove. Not knowing it wasn't poisonous was frightening."

The locals asked him to describe the scorpion's markings. After he did, they assured him it wasn't of the deadly variety. His hand and arm did go numb, however, and he suffered the ill effects for two days.

"It was his birthday. He turned 55 that day, and it was at 5 a.m.," Medford added.

"The most rewarding part of the mission was just being able to help serve them in rebuilding and be able to attend other worship services there," Robertson said.

"The locals couldn't have treated us any nicer. They treated us like kings and queens. They couldn't do enough for us.

"Honestly, they are very content people even though they are very poor. Every house we went into had holes in the walls, ceilings or floors. Most of us (Americans) would not think about living in places like that."

Their meals consisted mostly of rice, beans and chicken.

"They are very self-sufficient people, from farm to table," Robertson said. "They don't have pasteurizing processes like we do here. We ate a lot of mango and papaya, too."

Robertson said many of those in the region are quite intelligent. "They are into the arts and crafts and music.

"I'd go back."

The mission was the eighth for Medford, but his first to Cuba.

"We have a highly recognized mission team (at First Pentecostal)," said Medford, who noted that usually a group of 12 to 15 go from the church.

Medford said retired First Pentecostal pastor Wayne Knight provided the inspiration for him to venture on his first mission trip in 1995.

"His brother, who went on the mission trips, died just before pastor Knight was to leave on a trip. He went to the funeral and went on and completed his mission. He was a good leader."

Medford said two things stood out to him on the Cuba mission. "We accomplished the mission by working together despite the language barrier.

"And for Mr. Huff, that experience was the highlight of his life."'

Medford said the church's next mission trip is planned for Venezuela.

He noted that various fundraisers will be held for the mission. He wanted to thank this year's business sponsors and church family donations for making the Cuba mission possible.

Dwight Davis can be reached at 249-3981, ext, 226 or at dwight.davis@the-dispatch.com.

<p>To first-time visitors, the outskirts of Bayamo, Cuba, likely appear to be another world trapped in a time warp.</p><p>The jungles are thick, temperatures are hot, transportation is primitive, and the scorpions sting with deadly vengeance.</p><p>It's also a place that can transform your life.</p><p>Three men on a mission from First Pentecostal Holiness Church were moved by the experience in a variety of ways.</p><p>It marked the first mission trip for First Pentecostal associate pastor David Robertson, who described the weeklong event as "overwhelming in a good way."</p><p>Part of the inspiration derived from a companion on the trip, Bob Huff of Raleigh, who started the first Pentecostal church in Cuba. He heard about the mission to roof and help refurbish buildings on a Pentecostal church campus there that was damaged by Hurricane Sandy last year.</p><p>The 82-year-old was returning to Cuba for the first time after being expelled by Communist leader Fidel Castro in the 1950s. Huff was forced to leave Cuba when he was 26 years old. Incredibly, before he left, Huff was instrumental in building 26 churches there.</p><p>"He was blown away by what God had done there since then. He was very emotionally moved over seeing the growth of the church and how it has progressed," Robertson said of the number of Christian churches that are now in the country. Pentecostal churches, as well as Catholic churches, have a strong presence in Cuba, Robertson reported.</p><p>"We visited a church that he helped start," explained Billy Medford, a member of First Pentecostal here who serves as a sergeant with the Davidson County Sheriff's Office. "The current pastor there was dedicated to the Lord by him (Huff) when he was a baby." Seeing the two interact "was a great blessing," Medford described. "It was overwhelming."</p><p>Robertson, Medford and Melvin Pitman, an electrician, represented the local church on the mission, which took place in October.</p><p>"It's a very oppressed place," Robertson said. "It looks like time stopped there in the 1950s. They have those old 1950s cars that we would die for. They share the road with everything … people, horses, buggies, bicycles. There are no road rules. It's quite amazing, you never hear of an accident."</p><p>Even during the fall, eastern Cuba is hot. "It was 95 to 100 degrees," Robertson estimated. "They have very little air conditioning. Nothing is up to standards compared to our systems.</p><p>"It was hot and humid, but they are used to that. The Cubans outworked us, I tell you that. They hardly broke a sweat."</p><p>All buildings in that part of the country have flat roofs, which are made with concrete. Small palm tree branches are used to hold the roof in place until the concrete cures, which takes about 40 days, Robertson said.</p><p>The First Pentecostal pastor has been dubbed "the scorpion king" by Medford after Robertson had a horrifying experience.</p><p>Unloading logs from an ox-drawn cart during a workday, Robertson felt a painful sting on his wrist. He slung off his glove and watched the creature crawl away.</p><p>"It was a painful sting that went all the way to my shoulder," Robertson said. "It had fallen into the top of my glove. Not knowing it wasn't poisonous was frightening."</p><p>The locals asked him to describe the scorpion's markings. After he did, they assured him it wasn't of the deadly variety. His hand and arm did go numb, however, and he suffered the ill effects for two days.</p><p>"It was his birthday. He turned 55 that day, and it was at 5 a.m.," Medford added.</p><p>"The most rewarding part of the mission was just being able to help serve them in rebuilding and be able to attend other worship services there," Robertson said.</p><p>"The locals couldn't have treated us any nicer. They treated us like kings and queens. They couldn't do enough for us.</p><p>"Honestly, they are very content people even though they are very poor. Every house we went into had holes in the walls, ceilings or floors. Most of us (Americans) would not think about living in places like that."</p><p>Their meals consisted mostly of rice, beans and chicken.</p><p>"They are very self-sufficient people, from farm to table," Robertson said. "They don't have pasteurizing processes like we do here. We ate a lot of mango and papaya, too."</p><p>Robertson said many of those in the region are quite intelligent. "They are into the arts and crafts and music.</p><p>"I'd go back."</p><p>The mission was the eighth for Medford, but his first to Cuba.</p><p>"We have a highly recognized mission team (at First Pentecostal)," said Medford, who noted that usually a group of 12 to 15 go from the church.</p><p>Medford said retired First Pentecostal pastor Wayne Knight provided the inspiration for him to venture on his first mission trip in 1995.</p><p>"His brother, who went on the mission trips, died just before pastor Knight was to leave on a trip. He went to the funeral and went on and completed his mission. He was a good leader."</p><p>Medford said two things stood out to him on the Cuba mission. "We accomplished the mission by working together despite the language barrier.</p><p>"And for Mr. Huff, that experience was the highlight of his life."'</p><p>Medford said the church's next mission trip is planned for Venezuela. </p><p>He noted that various fundraisers will be held for the mission. He wanted to thank this year's business sponsors and church family donations for making the Cuba mission possible.</p><p>Dwight Davis can be reached at 249-3981, ext, 226 or at dwight.davis@the-dispatch.com.</p>